MOBocracy

I hope that when you read this, the cricket fever and the frenzy, that we as Indians had plunged ourseleves into, after the Twenty Twenty victory would have subsided. A new leader, young and assertive players with an ability to handle the crunch with some bit of luck have all added to the new look of team India. The cult of aggression and dominance is in the air and I just hope that our team plays with similar zeal and vigour in the times to come.

But lest we forget, it was only six months ago that we made the unceremonial exit from the world cup after the ignonimous defeat at the hands of Bangladesh. Today's 'mobs as fans' were yesterday's 'fans as mobs'. Fixing allegations, vandalism against player's personal properties, a critical media lamenting shame and what not. And today, the same people lined up for their welcome at the airport, in the streets; the same media that conducted a detailed post mortem of men in blues had now captured each and every moment of theirs; the same BCCI which then had axed a few today went overboard in rewarding them. Politicians were not to be left behind, respective state governments rolled out cash prizes from the otherwise empty coffers.

This is the problem with us; we can neither handle victory nor defeat. Our national reactions are mobish, very often on frivolous issues. Three weeks ago, people in Delhi, acting on the LIVE INDIA channel's report, attacked Delhi school teacher Uma Khurana, torched two police vehicles, injured policemen, destroyed public property and achieved what? Moreover it was stimulated by unverified allegations and aired because the content had something to do with prostitutiion.

That was not all and the last week was full of the Ramsetu controversy. And look at the way we have reacted. On the roads,damaging public property, rioting, breaking law and order,attacking fellow citizens, making outrageous and provocative statements.Our faith in our age old morals, values, beliefs and ethics, to say the least are blasphemy resistant. Mr Karunanidhi, is a product of the DK movement of the 1940's and his statements only show the kind of political and spiritual parochiality in which he has grown up, lived and even at this age still not having come out of it. Its a pity. But that doesn't give the right to the so called Hindutva forces who in various places seeked to disrupt the normal peace and harmony, attacked his daughter and tried to recreate the atmosphere of 1992. The devotee's of Lord Rama give no right to mahants like Vedanti who issues such blood thirsty dictats. These people do lot more harm to us than the odd provocative statements.

I am reminded of Winston Churchill famous jibe of "half naked fakir" for Mahatma Gandhi who had attended the Second Round Table Conference of 1931 in London. I wonder how we had reacted , if this was said today. A british reporter asked Gandhi after he met the King that didn't he feel under dressed in front of the king , mahatma in his characteristic wit replied " No ! Infact the king had worn enough for both of us " . The strength of the man lay here , to react to the issues that confronted us and to brush off the one's that needed to be.

On his birth anniversary when the world celebrates the " International day of Peace and Nonviolence " it becomes important that we reclaim the man from the currency notes, intellectual debates, library shelves and place him in our hearts. Gandhi was the only Gandhian ever born on this earth and we would do better if we can realize even fraction of his essence in our hearts.

He is there within us.